Email accessibility is the practice of making your marketing messages readable for users with visual disabilities and screen reader users.
Email is a vital communication tool, and unless your brand intentionally invests in accessibility, you may alienate potential customers. In their annual report on email accessibility, the Email Markup Consortium found that only 0.002% of the emails they reviewed passed accessibility testing.
Learn what email accessibility means in practice, why it matters, and the guidelines for creating accessible emails.
What are email accessibility guidelines?
Email accessibility guidelines are documented standards that help marketers and designers write and build content for everyone.
Following best practices ensures there are no barriers to engaging with your content for people who have visual impairments, use mobile devices, or require assistive technology like screen readers or dictation software.
The definitive digital accessibility resource used by accessibility advocates is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
The guidelines are based on four core principles. Content must be:
-
Perceivable. Written content, visual content, and design interfaces should be presented in ways that appeal to multiple senses, so users can see, hear, touch, or otherwise perceive the information. It can’t be invisible to all senses.
-
Operable. Any user interface component and navigation must be functional and usable for all users.
-
Understandable. Information and interfaces should be comprehensible for various levels of cognitive and physical ability.
-
Robust. Content should be comprehensive enough that it can be interpreted by a wide variety of users, including assistive technology.
WCAG 2.2 is the latest set of guidelines to help you check accessibility. It’s available for free and includes actionable writing and design guidelines to help anyone create accessible content. In addition to email guidelines, WCAG also offers accessibility resources for creating websites, apps, and other digital content.
Why email accessibility matters
When businesses design accessible emails, everyone wins. While WCAG 2.2 was designed with disabled users in mind, improving visibility and navigability provides a better email experience for users in general.
Sara Mote, creative director of the ecommerce design agency Mote, says accessibility goes hand in hand with cognitive ease. “Certain designs are best practices, not just for accessibility but for the overall user experience—because there’s a lot of crossover,” Sara says in an interview with Shopify.
Creating accessible content can also protect your business from legal risks. While WCAG 2.2 compliance isn’t legally required for private businesses, content that fails to provide reasonable accessibility can leave brands vulnerable to lawsuits.
Research from UsableNet, a digital accessibility company, found that digital accessibility legislation is growing in the US and certain industries face disproportionate risk; the ecommerce industry accounted for 70% of digital accessibility lawsuits in 2025.
Email accessibility guidelines for ecommerce marketers
- Maintain minimum contrast
- Follow font sizing guidelines
- Use alternative text
- Use logical order
- Write descriptive link and button copy
- Avoid images of text
- Pay attention to color choices
- Use responsive layouts
- Use plain language
The complete WCAG 2.2 includes 13 requirements for audio, video, app, web, and other digital content. These are some of the most important aspects of accessibility for email marketing:
Maintain minimum contrast
Contrast helps text and images pop out. Color contrast is expressed as a ratio of relative brightness. Measurements range from 1:1 (no contrast, i.e., black text on a black background) to 21:1 (maximum contrast, i.e., black text on a white background).
Accessibility guidelines recommend text and images with a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. You can use a contrast checker to conduct accessibility testing. Exceptions apply for large text, logos, and incidental or decorative images.
Follow font sizing guidelines
WCAG 2.2 doesn’t mandate a specific minimum font size. Instead, it requires that all text can be resized up to 200% “without loss of content or functionality.”
Using relative font sizing instead of pixel measurements can help designers meet this standard. With relative units, font size is defined as a percentage within email code. This structure ensures that emails retain original proportions when scaled and helps avoid problems like overlapping or cut-off text.
For best results, preview your content at 200% to ensure that all elements work properly without requiring horizontal scrolling.
Use alternative text
Writing helpful alternative text, or alt attributes, for any visual elements makes your emails accessible. Alt text for any images, video, audio, or controls (such as buttons) ensures that people with vision impairments, such as low vision or color blindness, can still engage with your marketing messages.
For example, if your email includes an image demonstrating how to use your product, writing alt text to describe the image helps users with vision impairments understand the full context of your message.
Use logical order
Logical order means organizing your content into clear sections. Write and organize headings with proper HTML tags (H1-H6), and use table headers or column headers when appropriate.
This practice helps users with assistive technology tools, such as screen readers or text readers, navigate content more effectively. A screen reader interprets headlines and uses the information to create an outline or allow users to skip between sections.
Large or bold text that looks like a headline is invisible to assistive technology tools unless the email code uses a proper heading tag.
Write descriptive link and button copy
Screen readers read links by stating “Link” and then reading the anchor text. Generic phrases like “Click here” don’t tell users what to expect in the link itself, which can lead to confusion and lower engagement.
Instead, use descriptive and meaningful link text and button text—such as “Visit the homepage” or “Shop now”—to provide more context.
You can also use descriptive alt text for functional images. For example, if a logo image in your email messages includes a link to your homepage, the alt text “brand logo with link to homepage” may be more helpful than “brand logo.”
Avoid images of text
WCAG 2.2 recommends using live HTML format instead of images of text, which present several accessibility barriers.
Screen readers can’t interpret words displayed in images, and descriptive alt text may fail to capture the complexity of images, like posters or flow charts that contain several layers of information. In addition, text in images can’t be resized without scaling up the entire image.
If your email relies on images to communicate, anyone using assistive technology will be left out. What’s more, some email clients block image files by default. In this case, your email will appear empty to some users (regardless of accessibility needs). Using standard HTML text resolves both of these issues.
Pay attention to color choices
Some emails use color as a visual cue, but it can’t be interpreted by screen readers. Some color combinations may be difficult to perceive for color blind individuals or users with visual impairments.
WCAG 2.2 standards suggest using text or descriptive alt text to add context if you use color to convey meaning. For example, instead of using a red dot to indicate marked-down items, you might add the word “sale” in red.
Use responsive layouts
Responsive design adapts to various devices, which makes emails accessible for individuals on mobile devices, such as phones or tablets, and people who navigate content with touch screens instead of keyboards.
One way to check whether your emails are responsive is to use predesigned templates from an email marketing platform like Shopify Messaging.
Use plain language
WCAG 2.2 recommends using simple, direct wording in written content. This practice helps improve access for readers with cognitive impairments or reading disabilities, like dyslexia, as well as non-native speakers. Avoid unnecessarily complex language and use active voice in your email copywriting when possible.
Email accessibility guidelines FAQ
Is WCAG legally required?
WCAG is a set of technical instructions, not law. While private companies are not legally required to follow WCAG practices, doing so helps ensure compliance with civil rights laws—such as the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)—to protect against lawsuits.
Can you get sued for not having accessibility on your website?
Yes, you can get sued for accessibility barriers in your website or other digital content. If technical or design elements prevent users with disabilities from accessing your content, your business may be vulnerable to lawsuits. Following accessibility guidelines can help your business meet standards and minimize legal risk.
What’s the difference between ADA and WCAG?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law designed to prevent discrimination and protect the rights of people with disabilities. The WCAG is a set of standards for creating accessible emails and web content. WCAG practices are not explicitly required under the ADA, but following these guidelines can help your brand meet ADA standards.
How do I make my website WCAG-compliant?
Run an audit to check accessibility and spot any issues on your website. The Web Accessibility Initiative provides a list of recommended accessibility review tools, such as AccessibilityChecker.org. After using an accessibility checker, address any accessibility issues by rewriting content, adding headers, and adjusting designs to meet WCAG standards.
Legal disclaimer: This information is for general educational purposes only. It is not legal or financial advice. Consult a qualified attorney and your payment provider for guidance.
